Police have revealed a strict deadline was included in an alleged ransom note for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of TODAY host Savannah Guthrie.
The note included several demands and included details about the alleged kidnapping that seem to have cops convinced.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for five days
84-year-old Guthrie was reportedly abducted from her Arizona home on Saturday night, and is allegedly ‘limited in mobility’ but of ‘great sound mind’.
Earlier this week, police received a ransom note that was sent to news outlets earlier in the week with demands including millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
While the legitimacy of the note has yet to be confirmed, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Monday that he believes Guthrie was abducted.
So far - FBI special agent Heith Janke confirmed - the family have received no ‘proof of life’ and there has been ‘no contact’ with the alleged kidnappers, although some chilling details have emerged and the family has pleaded for her safe return.
Donald Trump has also spoken to Savannah Guthrie and has pledged support in getting her mother home safely.
Police have also said that they believe Nancy is still alive.
Chilling deadline included in the ransom note
As well as the demand for financial payment, the note includes deadlines that must be met in order for her safe return.
The letter, which included significant details about the location of Guthrie 120 hours ago, including details about her Apple Watch and a floodlight at her home in Tucson, said that the deadline was 5:00pm MT on Thursday.
There is also a second deadline in the note, and it is not clear what the warning was if the deadline was missed.
"If a transfer wasn’t made, the second demand was for next Monday,” Janke said at a press conference.
“I’m not going to go beyond that.”
Janke said: “We are continuing as a normal kidnapping case,
“In a normal kidnapping case there would be contact by now trying to discuss that.”
However, the note did not include contact details.
Authorities are obviously taking the note seriously, though there is an ‘absolute possibility’ that the note and Guthrie’s disappearance are unrelated, Sheriff Nanos said.
In a video statement on Wednesday night, Savannah said: “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen,
“Please, reach out to us.”